Sheet fed offset printing machine



April 4 B950 E. G. sTAuDE SHEET FED OFFSET PRINTING MACHINE 8 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed June 9, 1945 April 4 1950 E. G. STAUDE SHEET FED OFFSET PRINTING MACHINE 8 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed June 9, 1945 @v hm/NNQ n mQQw m5 NQ mmv@ 5 vw mWQ wm MPN D W U o@ TW mm, nw\ Ww ma 3 PNL m FN W G h /W M n@ ,w f Y M H H H Y u N` :E o A,

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Patented Apr. 4, 1950 SHEET FED OFFSET PRINTING MACHINE Edwin G. Stande, Minneapolis, Minn., assignor to The Sperry Corporation, New York, N. Y., av

corporation of Delaware Application June 9, 1945. Serial No. 598,549

9 Claims.

The invention pertains to sheet fed machines and which may be adapted or employed for operating on sheets or blanks for a variety of purposes including printing, both direct and oiiset. as well as creasing and scoring.

One general object of the invention is to provide an improved machine of the above type which is all rotary in character but which is, nevertheless, capable of handling sheets rather than requiring a continuous web to operate upon, and which is, moreover, such that a ilat chase of type or curved rubber type may be used to operate upon the sheets.

Those skilled in the art will recognize at once that sheet fed presses, and more particularly ilat bed presses, have heretofore been typiiied by the use of reciprocatory mechanisms rather than rotary ones. By succeeding in eliminating reciprocatory mechanisms, while still retaining the basic simplicity of a iiat bed set up, I have succeeded in correlating with the latter both the high speed and the freedom from vibration which are characteristic of rotary mechanisms.

In accomplishing the foregoing objective I use one or more cylinders to which the sheets or blanks to be operated upon are releasably fixed with each successive sheet wrapped circumferentially around a cylinder. The cylinder is moved bodily through an orbital or closed path and simultaneously revolves at an angular velocity, which may be conveniently termed its rolling speed. By rolling speed I mean the angular velocity or speed which the cylinder would have if it were actually rolled along on its periphery fast enough to translate or move it bodily at the same speed in which the cylinder moves through the orbital path mentioned above. In the course of transversing the orbital path a fresh sheet is wound about the cylinder, rollingly contacted with a printing cylinder moving at the same peripheral speed which acts upon it to print, cut or score it as the case may be, and then the completed sheet is unwound or stripped from the cylinder by suitable discharge mechanism. During all this time the cylinder continues to revolve and move bodily in its path at uniform high speed.

A further and more specific object of the invention is to provide an improved machine of the general character indicated in which the attachment and wrapping of successive sheets about the periphery of a continuously revolving cylinder is accomplished in a manner which requires no interruption in continuous high speed movement of the cylinder and in which the advantages in- (Cl. lOl-252) chase.

In one of its aspects it is an object of my invention to provide an improved printing press in which successive sheets are orbitally transported on a rotating cylinder and printed by contact with a synchronized rotating printing cylinder having resilient type thereon.

The invention also resides in various and important structural improvements and combinations contained in the apparatus and by virtue of which a simple, low-cost machine is achieved which is highly eiilcient and effective in operation.

Further objects or advantages of the invention will become apparent as the following description proceeds, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view of an al1- rotary sheet fed machine, embodying the present invention, the section being taken substantially along the longitudinal center line of the machine.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged detailed sectional view of a modified form of intermediate cylinder and coacting at bed device which may be employed in the machine of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged horizontal sectional view taken substantially along the line 3 3 in Fig. 1

Fig. 4 is an enlarged vertical sectional view taken substantially along the line 4-4 in Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is a detailed sectional view taken substantially along the line 5 5 in Fig. 4.

Figs. 6, 7, 8 and 9 are generally schematic stop motion views of certain of the principal cylinders and related devices included in the machine of Fig. 1 and showing the same in successive positions which they occupy during the passage of a sheet through the machine, In Figs. 6, '7 and 8 only two cylinders in each set of three have been shown, in order to simplify and clarify the illustration.

Fig. 10 is a fragmentary detail view of one of the inking rollers included in the machine of Fig. 1, the supporting members for its ends being shown in longitudinal section.

Fig. 11 is a view similar to Fig. 10 but with one of the rollers end supports disengaged for removal of the roller.

Fig. 12 is a detail perspective view of one end of one of the paper cylinders included in the machine of Fig. 1 and shows the cam follower arm for actuating the gripper of the cylinder as well as the coacting stationary cam at the left end of the machine.

While the invention is susceptible of various modifications and alternative constructions, I have shown in the drawings and will herein describe in detail certain preferred embodiments, but it is to be understood that I do not thereby intend to limit the invention to the specific forms disclosed, but intend to cover all modifications and alternative constructions falling within the spirit and scope of the invention as expressed in the appended claims.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, the machine shown in Fig. 1 is shown as arranged for offset printing. It is provided with a feed hopper 2 adapted to receive a stack 3 of sheets or blanks, and various suitable forms of feed mechanisms may be employed for feeding the sheets, one at a time, into the machine. The feed mechanism here shown is substantially that which is illustrated and described somewhat more in detail in Patent No. 1,144,506, issued June 29, 1915. As here indicated, the feed mechanism includes a power rotated feed wheel 4 having on its periphery a friction surface such as an inset pad of rubber. Coacting with the feed wheel 4 is the usual retarding mechanism 6. As the feed wheel 4 revolves it feeds out the sheets 'I from the stack 3 one at a time over the surface of endless carrier belts 8, the sheets moving edge foremost. The trailing edges of the sheets, as they leave the feed wheel 4, are engaged by lugs S on a timing chain I0, trained over sprockets II and i2. The lugs 9 push the sheets forward into the machine where they are received by grippers operated in timed relation with the advance of the lugs.

As the successive sheets 'I are delivered to the machine they are releasably secured to and wrapped circumferentially about what may be termed a paper cylinder I5. It will be clear to those skilled in the art that any desired number of such cylinders for receiving the paper or blanks may be employed, three being shown in the illustrated machine. The paper cylinders may be made of steel and covered with a suitable blanket of rubber or other yielding material. In a longitudinal notch on each paper cylinder I5 is journaled a rock shaft I3 carrying a set of three suitably spaced grippers or gripper fingers I4 (see Figs. 1 and 4). The grippers I4 swing clockwise (as viewed in Fig. 1) as the forward edges of the sheets 'I strike them, clamping such forward edge portions of the sheet to the cylinder,

The cylinders I5 revolve continuously in a counter-clockwise direction, thus drawing the sheets 1 forward while Wrapping the same circumferentially around the corresponding cylinder as the latter moves through the successive positions shown in Figs. 6, 7 and 8. Once the sheet is wrapped about its paper cylinder I5 it is retained in s uch configuration by the air pressure imposed on it incident to the rapid rotation of the cylinder so that the sheets remain in position until they arrive at the discharge station subsequently described.

The gripper fingers I4 are rocked into gripping engagement with the successive sheets 'l by the action of suitable cam mechanisms. For that purpose cam follower arms I 3a are fixed to the outer ends of the rock shafts I3 (see Figs. 4 and 12) and arranged to ride over a suitably curved generally C-shaped stationary cam I3b fixed to the casting 59 and located adjacent the feeding station. As the cam follower arm rides up on the cam the shaft I3 is rocked to raise the fingers I4. When the follower drops off the end of the cam the fingers are snapped down to clamp the sheet I by a torsion spring I3a. A similar cam (not shown) is located adjacent the delivery station to release the gripper fingers briefly so that the sheet may be withdrawn by a delivery mechanism hereinafter described.

Provision is made for moving the paper cylinders l 5 bodily through an orbital or closed path. In the course of such movement the cylinders are translated transaxially, passing in succession through a first station in which a sheet I is applied to the cylinder, then through a second station where the sheet is operated upon (i. e. printed or scored, etc.), and finally through a third station where the completed sheet is removed from the cylinder. The three paper cylinders I5 appear in Fig. 1 located respectively in approximately those three stations.

To effect such bodily movement of the paper cylinders I5 they are fixed to respective shafts I6 journaled in bearings I1 (see Fig. 5) carried by lugs I8 interconnected by an endless roller chain I9. This roller chain is trained over sprockets 20, 2|. The sprockets have cut-outs at 22 to permit passage of the lugs I8 over them.

Positive guiding of the paper cylinders I5 is effected throughout their travel. For that purpose end extensions 23 on the cylinder-support shafts I6 (see Fig. 4) have ball bearings 24 thereon, fixed in place by lock nuts 25. The outer races of the ball bearings 24 constitute guide rollers and are received in continuous guide channels 26 (see also Fig. 5) fashioned in castings 59 (Fig. 4) adjustably secured to the inner machine frame 60. The paper cylinders I5 are thus compelled to follow accurately defined paths which remain fixed even though there be some slight variation in the tension of the chain I9. The portions of the guide channel 26 between the center lines of the sprockets 2U, 2l are straight while the end portions of the channel are generally radial, being centered on the axes of the sprockets. To provide a suicient space for passing of the cylinders I5 one over the other without interference as they move about the sprockets 2li, 2I, I preferably raise the guide channel 26 slightly at points on the vertical axes of the sprockets. Such rise, however, is so slight that I have not attempted to show it in the drawings.

The paper cylinders I5 are revolved in timed relation to their bodily translation to impart to them a simulated rolling motion. The angular velocity of the cylinders I5 is such as to be substantially precisely the same as their rolling speed. In other words, the paper cylinders are revolved at the same speed they would turn if they were rolling along a surface at a rate such as to translate them with the same speed that they are actually translated in the machine by the endless chain I9. It is also to be observed that each paper cylinder I5 makes a whole number of revolutions each time it goes through its orbital path so that each cylinder is always in the same angular position every time it reaches any particular point in its orbital path.

To effect the accurately controlled rotation of the individual paper cylinders I5, sprockets 21 (Fig. 4) are keyed to each of the cylinder shafts I6. These sprockets have pitch lines which are the same diameter as the corresponding cylinders I5. Each of the sprockets 21 are offset axially a short distance from each other so that they may lmesh with individual attiene ones of roller chains 2l. The latter chains are confined within a casting 29 which embraces them circumferentially, the chains being clamped stationarily in position within the casting by a plate 30 held by cap screws 3|. As sprockets 21 roll along their corresponding chains 28, the latter serve as. what may be termed endless racks. As the sprockets 21 roll along these racks the paper cylinders I5 are thus revolved in timed relation to their bodily translation.

In the present instance the sprockets 2| are used to drive the chain I9, carrying the paper cylinders I5. For that purpose the sprockets 2| are made integral with shafts 32 (see Fig. 4) mounted in needle bearings 33. Spur gears 34 on the outer ends of the shafts 32 mesh with similar spur gears |35 on the outer ends of sprocket shafts |32 included in the drive arrangement for a second set of cylinders described below and which serve as offset cylinders in the present machine. A suitable drive motor M serves to revolve the meshing gears 34, |35 and to drive the sprockets for the timing chain I0 in timed relation with them. Suitable drive connections (not shown) are, of course, provided for the feed wheel 4 and for the drive pulley of the endless belt 8.

The purpose of revolving the paper cylinders I5 at rolling speed is two-fold. First of all it makes it possible to effectuate the clamping of the sheets 'I onto the cylinders in an effective and eilicient manner while the cylinders are moving at high speed. Secondly, it makes it possible to move the sheet wrapped about the cylinder in rolling contact with a device which offsets or impresses onto it suitable printing, or else scores and cuts the same. The particular operation performed depends, of course, upon the set-up of the machine employed. The second action will be described more in detail below and for the moment we may concern ourselves with further analysis of the gripping of the successive sheets I on the revolving paper cylinders I5.

The feeding of the successive sheets I into contact with the upstanding gripper fingers I4 (Fig. 1) is so timed that the leading edge of the sheet contacts the gripper fingers at substantially the instant the latter is located in the plane of the sheet. To put it another way, the leading edge of the sheet contacts the finger at substantially the instant finger Il would be in contact with an overhead surface if the cylinders I5 were actually being rolled along such surface. Consequently the finger Il has at that instant no velocity in the plane of the sheet despite the fact that the cylinder on which the finger is mounted is moving bodily in a direction generally opposite to the direction of the previous motion of the sheet and at high speed. That is for the reason that the cylinder is revolving counter-clockwise, or away from the leading edge of the sheet at rolling speed. The action may be compared to that of a wagon rolling along the ground. When so rolling, any point on the wagon wheel which contacts the ground has, at the instant of contact, zero velocity of movement along the surface of the ground. In view of the speed relation noted, or, in other words, since the gripper I4 has zero velocity toward the leading edge of the sheet at the instant of contact with the latter, ample time is available for swinging of the gripper finger into engagement with the sheet (sec Fig. 6) even though the cylinder I5 is moving continuously and at high speed through its orbital path. Moreover, the sheet can, if desired, be brought up against a stop to positively insure accurate register of grippers and sheet. Once the sheet has been gripped by the gripper I4 it is whipped around the periphery of the paper cylinder I5 by the rapid rotation of the latter and remains wrapped around the cylinder until stripped from it at the discharge station.

Upon reference to Fig. 1, supplemented by the diagrammatic showing in Figs. 6 to 9, it will be seen that the sheet I moves edgewise toward the orbital path of the paper cylinders and in a plane which is substantially tangential to the periphery of the cylinder at the instant of contact between the sheet and upstanding gripper fingers Il. At such instant the sheet is moving in a direction generally opposite to the then prevailing direction of bodily movement of the paper cylinder 'I5 toward which it is projected from the belt 3. As the fingers I4 close the leading edge of the sheet 'I is pulled downward (Fig. 6). And in course of the subsequent movement of the paper roller (Figs. 7 and 8) the sheet is pulled out from between the belt 8 and coacting chain, and wrapped about the cylinder.

In the machine of Fig. 1 the sheets 1 wrapped about the paper cylinders I5 are printed through the use of intermediate cylinders I I5 which serve as oiset cylinders. The offset cylinders |I5 have the usual rubber blankets |36 on them. In instances like the present one where only one set of offset cylinders is provided for coaction with the set of paper cylinders, the same number of offset cylinders are used as paper cylinders. Moreover, the offset cylinders are in any event revolved and translated at precisely the same speeds as the paper cylinders, the mechanism for the purpose being in the present instance substantially a duplicate of that for the paper cylinders. Accordingly, |00 has been added to the reference numerals for corresponding parts.

Simply by way of brief recapitulation, it may be noted that the offset cylinders I|5 are fixed on respective shafts H6 journaled in bearings I1 having lugs IIB interconnected by an endless chain I|9 (Figs. 1 and 5). The chain I|9 is trained over sprockets |20, I2I, the sprockets |2I 'being the drivers and the sprockets being provided with cut out portions |22 to allow the passage of the bearings II'I. For guiding purposes the extensions |23 of the shafts I|6 have ball bearings |24 thereon, secured in positionby lock nuts |25, and the outer races of these ball bearings are received in channel guides '|26 fashioned in castings |59. In order to control the rotative position of the cylinders I5, sprockets |21` are secured to the shafts I I 6 and meshed with corresponding stationary roller chains |28 clamped within a casting |29 by plate |30 held by cap screws |3I. The set of roller chains |28 is placed at the side of the machine opposite the corresponding set of roller chains 28 (see Fig. 4) in order to afford adequate clearance (Fig. 5).

To adjust the positions of the castings |59 in which are fashioned the guides |26 (Fig. 3). bosses 6| areprovided on the castings and pass through slightly larger holes 62 in the machine frame 50. Threaded on the outer ends of these bosses are clamping collars 64 operable by a spanner wrench. Upon loosening these collars the position of the guide casting |59 may be altered as desired. A similar adjustment is provided for the upper guide castings 59 (Fig. 4).

The paper cylinders I5 and intermediate or offset cylinders I|5 proceed in respective opposite directions about their corresponding orbital paths and also revolve in opposite directions. Moreover, the positions of the cylinders along their several paths are matched and the speeds of translation and rotation and lengths of paths of travel for the two sets of cylinders |5, ||'5 made precisely the same. Consequently, as the paper cylinders l move to the left along the lower run of their orbital path, corresponding ones of the offset cylinders ||5 also move to the left along the upper run of their orbital path and the matching pairs of cylinders revolve in rolling contact with each other (see progression of positions in Figs. 8 and 9).

An inked type image or impression is applied to the offset cylinders by rolling them over an ordinary fiat bed chase shown at 36 in Fig. 1. This case may be adapted to hold individual type, type blocks, etchings, etc. which are customarily locked in a flat chase. The chase 38 is mounted on a suitable cross spreader secured to lugs on the side frame 60. Obviously a positive face type is required for offsetting.

In order to ink the surface of'the type in the chase 38, ink is applied by means of a series of sets of inking rollers 44 (Fig. 1). These inking rollers are supported between a pair of endless roller chains 43 (see also Fig. 10) trained over sprockets 4|, 42 carried by shafts 39, 40. The sprocket 42 is the driving sprocket, its shaft 39 having spur gears 45 thereon meshed with the spur gears |35 previously identified (Fig. 3).

The ink rollers 44 are arranged in spaced groups on the chain 43, the spacing permitting groups of inking rollers and successive one of the offset cylinders ||5 to alternate with each other in rolling over the type in the chase 38. The chain 43 bearing the inking rollers moves at precisely the same linear speed as the chain ||9 bearing the offset cylinders |l5.

'I'he chain 43 bearing the inking rollers 44 is also trained over idler sprockets 48x49 and 51 in addition to the pair of sprockets 4|, 42 previously mentioned. The idler sprockets 48, 49 are mounted on shafts 46, 41 while the sprocket 51 is journaled on a shaft 50 to which is xed an ink drum 5|, the sprocket 51 and drum 5| being oppositely rotated. Ink may be applied to the ink drum 5| by any suitable fountain and ink distribution arrangement. Since such arrangements are Well known in the art, no detail of description is required here. For the present it is suffice to say that I have indicated at 56 an undershot fountain roller from which ink is supplied to a ductor roller 55 and thence to a roller 54 from which it passes to an axially vibrating drum 53. The doctor roller 55, of course, vibrates transaxially between the fountain roller 56 and next roller 54. From the vibrating drum 53 the ink passes to rollers 52 and thence to the inking drum 5|.

The construction of the individual inking rollers 44 is illustrated in Figs. 10 and 11. As there shown each such roller is journaled by needle bearings 12 on a corresponding shaft 1|. Telescoped over one end of each such shaft 1| and pinned to it, is a casting 14 having two sockets 15 in its outer end adapted to receive pins 16 fixed to the side bars of the roller pin 43 and projecting laterally from it. At the opposite end of each supporting shaft 1| a casting 11, somewhat similar to the casting 14, is telescoped over the end of the shaft, being guided for limited endwise sliding movement by pin 18 in the shaft received in a longitudinal slot 8| in the casting. A compression spring 19 is interposed between the end of the shaft 1| and the inner end of a bore I0 in the casting '11 and serves to urge the casting outward to the position of Fig. 10. The pair of sockets 15 in the casting 11 receive pins 16 on the adjacent chain 43. It will thus be seen that individual ones of the inking rollers 13 may be removed by simply pulling the casting 11 back from the position of Fig. 10 to that of Fig. 11 and thus disengaging it from its supporting pin 16.

After the paper cylinders l5 have carried the sheets 1 wrapped about the same in rolling contact with the offset cylinders H5, the printed or completed sheets are automatically removed from the paper cylinders. For that purpose various forms of discharge mechanisms may be employed, the particular one shown (Fig. 1) being of the chain mounted gripper type of substantially the same construction illustrated and described somewhat in more detail for feeding wrappers in my Patent No. 1,130,938, issued May 9, 1915. In the latter patent see the gripper jaws 52, 53 carried on a chain 30. For present purposes suffice it to say that when a paper cylinder I5 reaches the position indicated at B in Fig. 1, its gripper shaft 3 is rocked to release the gripper |4, and coincidentally one of the grippers 83 on an endless delivery chain 82 automatically seizes the leading edge of the sheet. As the lower run of the chain 82 advances to the left the sheet is pulled from the paper cylinder I5. Finally, when the sheet is located above the mouth of a receiving box 84, the gripper 83 automatically releases the sheet, permitting it to fall into the box.

The operation of the machine of Fig. 1 for effecting offset printing will in general be clear from the foregoing. By way of brief recapitulation, it may be noted that the sheets 1 are timingly fed from the stack 3 to successive ones of the paper cylinders I5. The sheets are seized by the grippers i4 on these rapidly revolving cylinders |5 and Wrapped about the latter. Thereafter the sheets wrapped about the paper cylinders are rolled over the periphery of a corresponding one of the intermediate or offset cylinders |5 to transfer the inked image on the latter to the sheet. Finally the completed sheets are automatically stripped from the paper cylinders and delivered to the box 84.

From the foregoing it will be perceived that the machine is rotary in character throughout. Consequently it is able to operate at high speed Without the pounding and vibration normally incident to reciprocatory drives and mechanisms. On the other hand, the type is locked in a simple chase 38 characteristic of a flat bed press, so that none of the complications of casting and mounting curved stereotyped plates is entailed as in the usual rotary press. Moreover, the machine is adapted to handle individual sheets or blanks rather than requiring a continuous web as in most previous rotary presses. On the whole, the machine disclosed is amply adapted, by the various characteristics noted, for small job shop work. Both the chase 38 and inking mechanism are read ily accessible from the side of the machine, as, for example, upon removal of a side panel (not shown) in the casing 60 so that change of setup for printing the different jobs can be done quickly and easily.

The machine of Fig. 1 may be readily modified to accommodate direct impression printing rather than offset printing. For that purpose flexible sets of rubber type |36' are wrapped about and xed to the intermediate cylinders ||5 (see Fig. 2) rather than the rubber blankets |36 previously noted. Instead oi' providing a. lockup of type in the chase I8, a ilat platen 3l' is substituted to receive a coating of ink from the inking rollers Il. With such an arrangement the rubber type |36 is inked by rolling it over the platen 38', and thereafter the ink image of the type is impressed on the sheets 1 borne by the paper cylinders I5 as the type is rollingly contacted with them.

In the event that the operator desires to use the machine of Fig. 2 for cutting and scoring boxes or carbon blanks rather than for printing, the machine may be readily accommodated to that purpose. It is suilicient merely to substitute cutting and scoring rules of any suitable kind which may be desired by those skilled in the art for the rubber type |36' thereby making a physical impression rather than a light inked impression on the blank.

From the foregoing it will be perceived that a very versatile machine has been provided. Despite the variety of operations which it :is adapted to accommodate, the construction is basically simple and capable of high speed operation.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a machine of the type described, the combination of a cylinder having means thereon for engaging a sheet wrapped circumferentially about the same, means for moving said cylinder through an orbital path with a simulated rolling motion, a second cylinder including means for carrying an inked impression thereon, means for moving said second cylinder through an orbital path with a simulated rolling motion and in the l course of which said second cylinder is in rolling contact with a sheet wrapped about the iirst mentioned cylinder throughout only a portion of the movement of said cylinders through their respective paths for transferring the inked impression to the sheet, and a fiat bed device positioned to be rollingly contacted by said second cylinder while the latter is out of contact with the first mentioned cylinder for producing the inked impression on said second cylinder.

2. In a machine of the type described, the combination of a cylinder having means thereon for engaging a sheet wrapped circumferentially about the same, means including a pair of endless roller chains between which said cylinder extends transversely and on which it is rotatably journaled for moving said cylinder through an orbital path with a simulated rolling motion, a second cylinder including means for carrying an inked impression thereon, means including a second pair of endless roller chains between which said second cylinder extends transversely and on which it is rotatably journaled for moving said second cylinder through an orbital path with a simulated rolling motion, said second cylinder being in rolling contact with a sheet wrapped about the ilrst mentioned cylinder throughout only a portion of the movement of said cylinders through their respective paths, and a ilat bed device positioned to be rollingly contacted by said second cylinder while the latter is out of contact with the first mentioned cylinder for producing the inked impression on said second cylinder.

3. In a machine of the type described, the combination of a cylinder having means thereon for engaging a sheet wrapped circumferentially about the same, means for moving said cylinder through an orbital path with a simulated rolling motion, an oil'set cylinder, means for moving said odset cylinder through an orbital path with a simulated rolling motion and in the course of which said offset cylinder is in rolling contact with a sheet wrapped about the rst mentioned cylinder throughout only a portion of the movement of said cylinders through their respective paths, a at bed chase positioned to present a device to be rollingly contacted by said offset cylinder while the latter is out of contact with the first mentioned cylinder, an inking roller, and means for rolling said inking roller across said device in alternation with the passage of said offset cylinder thereover.

4. In a machine of the type described, the combination of a cylinder having means thereon for engaging a sheet wrapped circumferentially about the same, means for moving said cylinder through an orbital path with a simulated rolling motion, an o'set cylinder, means for moving said offset cylinder through an orbital path with a simulated rolling motion and in the course of which said offset cylinder is in rolling contact with a sheet wrapped about the i'lrst mentioned cylinder throughout a portion of the movement of said cylinders through their respective paths, and a nat bed chase positioned to present a device to be rollingly contacted by said oiset cylinder while the latter is out of contact with the first mentioned cylinder, an inking roller, a rotatable inking drum, and means including an endless chain supporting said inking roller for rolling movement successively over said inking drum and said device in said chase.

5. In a machine of the class described a rst group of cylinders, means for transporting said cylinders successively through an orbital path while revolving them about their respective axes, means on individual ones of said cylinders for grippingly receiving a sheet to be printed, means for feeding successive sheets to successive ones of said cylinders at one position in the orbital path thereof and for receiving said sheets from said cylinders at a second point in the orbital path spaced from said first point, a second group of cylinders, means for transporting the cylin ders of said second group through a second orbital path while revolving them about their respective axes, a flat bed type chase, inking mechanism for said type chase, the cylinders of said second group having a ilexible ink transferring covering thereon, the orbital paths of the transporting means for said groups of cylinders being so arranged with respect to one another and with respect to said type chase and the cylinders of said groups being so coordinated in positional phasing and peripheral speed that individual ones of said second group of cylinders are caused to successively roll over the iiat bed chase and rollingly engage corresponding cylinders of said rst group to effect a transfer of a printed impression from said type chase to the sheets carried by the cylinders of said rst group.

6. In a machine of the class described a rst group of cylinders, means for transporting said cylinders successively through an orbital path While revolving them about their respective axes, means on individual ones of said cylinders for grippingly receiving a sheet to be printed, means for feeding successive sheets to'successive ones of said cylinders at one position in the orbital path thereof and for receiving said sheets from said cylinders at a second point in the orbital path spaced from said first point, a second group of cylinders, means for transporting the cylinders of said second group through a second orbital path while revolving them about their respective axes, an inking surface in the path of movement of the cylinders ot said second group for inking the same, the cylinders of said second group including provision for mounting type on the peripheral surface thereof, the orbital path of the transporting means for said second group or cylinders being so arranged with respect to the orbital path of the transporting means for said iirst group or cylinders and the cylinders of said groups being so coordinated in positional phasing and peripheral speed that individual ones o! the cylinders of said second group are caused to engage cooperating cylinders of said iirst group to eilect a transfer of a printed impression to the sheets carried by the cylinders of said first group.

7. In a machine of the type described, the combination of a cylinder having means thereon for engaging a sheet wrapped circumierentially about the same, means for moving said cylinder through an orbital path with a simulated rolling motion, a second cylinder including means for mounting resilient type thereon, means for moving said second cylinder through an orbital path with a simulated rolling motion and in the course of which said second cylinder is in rolling contact with a sheet wrapped about the first mentioned cylinder throughout only a portion of the movement of said cylinders through their respective paths, and an inking platen positioned to be rollingly contacted by said second cylinder while the latter is out of contact with the first mentioned cylinder.

8. In a machine of the type described, the combination of a first series of cylinders each having means thereon for engaging a sheet wrapped circumferentially about the same, means for transporting said plurality of cylinders in spaced relation about an orbital path, means for imparting a simulated rolling motion to said cylinders as incident to such transportation, a second series of cylinders, means for transporting said second series of cylinders in spaced relation around an orbital path and for imparting thereto a simulated rolling motion synchronized with the rolling motion of corresponding ones of said second series of cylinders to enable individual ones of said second series of cylinders to be in rolling contact with a sheet wrapped about corresponding ones of said first series of cylinders throughout a portion of the movement of said cylinders through their respective paths, a at bed device posi- 12 tioned to be rollingly contacted by individual ones of said second series of cylinders while each is out of contact with the corresponding cylinders of said rst series, said motion imparting means including a plurality of endless roller chains and including sprockets on said cylinders for engaging said roller chains, said sprockets being laterally oiset to provide mutual clearance in their path of. orbital movement.

9. In a machine of the type described, the com- -bination of a rst group of cylinders, each havingmeans thereon for engaging a sheet wrapped circumferentially about the same, a pair of laterally spaced endless chains between which said cylinders are journaled in an equally spaced series, said chains being trained over a plurality of sprockets to support said cylinders for movement in succession through an orbital path, means for driving at least one of said sprockets to traverse said cylinders through said path, a plurality of additional endless roller chains arranged side by side, one for each cylinder, and all stationarily mounted to form endless racks, each o! said cylinders having a sprocket fixed thereto and meshed with a corresponding one of said racks to effect rotation of the cylinders at rolling speed, a second group of cylinders having peripheral means for carrying an inked impression thereon, and means for driving individual ones of said second group of cylinders synchronously with respect to corresponding cylinders of said first group to effect rolling contact with sheets Wrapped about respective ones of said first group of cylinders during a portion of the path of travel thereof in order to operate on such sheets.

EDWIN G. STAUDE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 448,775 Cottrell Mar. 24, 1891 927,762 Allen July 13, 1909 1,144,506 Staude June 29, 1915 2,040,686 Cheshire May 12, 1936 2,163,145 AJohnson June 20, 1939 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 316,240 Great Britain July 26, 1929 

